“We’re so proud of you, honey.”
Tears beaded Vee’s eyes. Her mom’s arms came around the both of them. She relaxed.
“You’re here,” Vee whimpered.
“Of course we’re here! We wouldn’t miss this for the world,” Mom chastised. “We’re only upset you didn’t tell us sooner. We haven’t heard from you in weeks! We’ve been trying to get a hold of you for so long now. We decided the only thing to do would be to come out here.”
Vee squeezed her eyes shut and burrowed her face into her dad’s chest. “I’m sorry,” she cried. “I’m really sorry!”
She hadn’t known how much she needed to see them.
“It’s okay, honey,” her dad mumbled, pulling back to look at her. Vee wiped her face. “We were real worried after all the media coverage. Good thing you’ve had someone nearby to protect you. He assured us you were safe.”
Vee glanced at Cypher as her dad turned to him. For once, her space warrior appeared utterly uncomfortable.
“Thank you for keeping our baby safe,” her dad said.
“Yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” her mother agreed.
Vee smiled as Cypher shifted his eyes back and forth between her parents and her.
“Of course,” he grumbled.
Dad reached out his hand. “You’re a good man.”
Cypher’s expression turned pained. He stared at her dad’s hand for a moment before taking it.
“We owe you a lot,” Dad continued.
Straightening, Cypher pulled his hand back. “A good man? You owe me nothing. It’s my duty to protect human life—innocent human life—and I’ll protect Vee always.”
Vee’s heart squeezed, and she moved to Cypher’s side, reaching up to tug on his low ponytail. The muscles strained in his arms, and he pulled her into his side, trapping her hard against him. A blush rushed her cheeks knowing her parents were watching.
It was completely out of the ordinary of her Cyborg.
A blazing heat rushed through her, and with it, a smidgen of hope.
Her mother studied them curiously. “We can’t thank you enough.”
Vee extinguished her hope and pulled out from under Cypher’s arm.I can’t hope for this.If she let herself hope for more from him, she was setting herself up for a lifetime of hurt. Vee wiped her hands on her suit pants and forced a smile back to her lips.
“I’m glad you’re here, Mom,” she said.
Her mom cupped Vee’s cheeks, her perusal continuing. “Me too, baby. Are you doing okay?”
Vee nodded. Was she? “Yeah.” It was an honest answer. “More than okay.”
Mom’s smile returned. All the while, Vee sensed Cypher’s looming presence at her back.
A loudspeaker turned on.“Contestants, please make your way down to the stadium entrances.”
The breath left her. She rubbed her palms on her pants again. “I guess it’s time.”
Beaming, her parents hugged her once again.
“You’re gonna do great,” her dad said.
“I hope!”
